The present invention relates to a terminal used on the connection thereto of an electric wire and a connection structure of the terminal and the electric wire.
Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 60-57066 discloses a terminal. This terminal has a cladding-connecting portion that is shaped like a curved plate and that is intended to caulk an electric wire from over an insulating cladding thereof, and a protrusion on the cladding-connecting portion that is intended to regulate the position of the electric wire when performing caulking. The protrusion is obtained using a method of inwardly inverting a portion between two parallel cuts of the cladding-connecting portion or a method of pressing the cladding-connecting portion having no cuts therein by a pressing die.
However, in the conventional terminal, because the protrusion is bent from the cladding-connecting portion, the cladding-connecting portion becomes likely to be easily bent at a boundary portion between the cladding-connecting portion and the protrusion. As a result of this, there is the possibility that the cladding-connecting portion will be bent from the boundary portion without being curved as a whole and therefore the retaining force of the cladding-connecting portion with respect to the electric wire will decrease.
Thereupon, an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal that makes it possible to regulate the movement of the caulked electric wire without causing a decrease in the retaining force with respect to the electric wire.
To achieve the above object, a terminal according to a first aspect of the present invention has a base, a pair of caulking pieces that integrally extend from the base, and a pair of bent pieces for regulating the movement of the electric wire. The caulking pieces retain the electric wire from over the insulating cladding thereof be being bent. The respective bent pieces each integrally extend from the base and each have an inclined surface that contacts with the insulating cladding.
In this construction, the electric wire on the base is clamped between the inclined surfaces and the caulking piece and this electric wire is thereby retained at least from three directions. Accordingly, the lateral movement of the electric wire relative to the base when the terminal or the electric wire has been subjected to vibrations is regulated by the bent pieces. As a result, the electric wire is prevented from being impaired.
Also, since the bent pieces extend from the base, they do not have any effects upon the bending of the caulking pieces. Accordingly, the force of retaining the electric wire does not decrease due to the existence of the bent pieces.
A second aspect of the present invention is the one wherein in the first aspect of terminal the base has a bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending from both ends of the bottom wall and opposing each other. Each bent piece extends is bent from each corresponding side wall and extends toward the bottom wall.
A third aspect of the present invention is the one wherein in the first aspect of terminal the base has a bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending from both ends of the bottom wall and opposing each other. Each bent piece extends is bent from a central portion of the bottom wall and the respective bent pieces respectively extend toward the side walls.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is the one wherein in the third aspect of terminal the base has stoppers contacting with forward ends of the bent pieces in order to prevent the inclined surfaces thereof from being deformed toward the bottom wall.